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Chivas USA Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera reacts to 1-1 tie with LA Galaxy

June 8, 2014

Cristina Maillo

cdchivasusa.com

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As he mentioned after Chivas USA’s last match at the StubHub Center, Red-and-White Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera came into Sunday’s SuperClásico against archrival LA Galaxy with the mentality of stealing points as the away side, as Chivas have secured results in four out of their six road tests throughout the season.

To continue that trend and the team’s objective, Cabrera brought out the surprise factor by tweaking his formation when he lined up Eric Ávila in his customary midfield position instead of his new role this season at right back. In his natural spot, Avila added a spark and pressure to the central midfield, allowing the Goats to be more explosive in the attacking third alongside the Argentine trio of Martín Rivero, Leandro Barrera and Mauro Rosales, as well as striker Erick “Cubo” Torres up top.

“We wanted to give Eric Avila a little bit more freedom to attack,” explained Coach Cabrera. “He’s an attacking player more than a defender. He’s been doing an excellent job as a right back but we are sacrificing him more than we are taking advantage of his skills and possibilities.”

The change in the lineup and the character shown on the field provided dividens in the 20th minute of the game when a combination between Rivero and Torres’ cunning and scoring appetite gave the Goats the one-nil lead over the Galaxy.

“It was a tough game, no doubt. We faced a very good team. LA Galaxy is one of the top teams in this league. But we came out with a good mentality. We created some options and we had the possibility to score on them, so that was important for us, and that gave us a boost to continue playing,” Cabrera added.

With the point and a great performance by his players, Cabrera understands this is just the beginning and that the group still has work to do. He went on to mention that the break from Major League Soccer action during the FIFA World Cup won’t mean time off for the Red-and-White.

“Obviously this is going to help us to continue building on what we are trying to do. It’s just one point, and we’re not happy until we get three points. And we know that there is room to improve in our game, especially in our possession, but this is a good start,” continued the coach.

Looking ahead to Chivas USA’s upcoming matches, Cabrera is certain about one aspect after Sunday’s performance: “It was the team that we know and the team that we need to see more often. Still, we’re not happy because we just tied, it’s not a win.”

Chivas USA will have the opportunity to seek that victory when they travel to Cary, N.C. to take on the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The match is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. (PT) on Saturday. Follow the Goats as they head to the East Coast by visiting the club’s social networks on Facebook and Twitter.